Overview

Pros

Cons

Only two USB 2.0 ports

Low screen resolution and contrast

Slower hard drive

Quick Take

The Dell Latitude E6320 is a solid office choice with durable construction and a tough keyboard.

The Dell Latitude E6320 is a 13.3-inch business notebook with Dell’s “Tri-Metal” build and a second-generation Intel Core i7 dual-core processor. Dell states that the combination of the E6320’s lightweight design, build quality, and good battery life make this a travel-friendly choice for business professionals; we’ll put that to the test in this review.

Build and DesignThe Dell Latitude E6320 is built with what Dell calls Tri-Metal casing (MIL-STD 810G by military standards), a support structure that’s considered business-rugged. In other words, it should give you the protection you need while traveling or from mishaps that can occur at work (such as a coffee spill). It’s made up of anodized aluminum in the display, a hard powder-coated base, reinforced magnesium alloy wrapped around the corners, and reinforced steel hinges. It also has a spill-resistant keyboard, protective LCD seal known as a “360-degree bumper” overlay for added screen protection. Dell states that the notebook protects against extreme high and low temperatures, vibrations, dust, and high altitudes. At the time of this writing, Dell also includes a 3-year limited on-site service at no extra cost.

The notebook is as solid as Dell suggests. The palm rest doesn’t flex at all, even under heavy pressure. When I pressed down hard on the keyboard, it flexed somewhat, but not considerably. The aluminum in the display back is also solid and ripples didn’t appear on the screen when the corners were bent inward; however, they do appear if you press anywhere on the screen bezel below the display. This is a sturdy notebook, especially since you can purchase it for as low as $970.

Style-wise, it’s very professional without looking bland. The entire notebook is dark gray or soft black, and there are neat orange accents across the keyboard. The activity lights are placed on the left side of the notebook and the Latitude line name is carved in metal below the keys.

The Latitude E6320 is about average when it comes to upgrading as far as business notebooks go. After removing some particuarly hard to remove screws, you can open the base cover to access the memory, wireless network card, and hard drive. The hard drive is protected by four additonal screws you’ll have to remove if you want to get to it. The notebook can hold up to 8GB of RAM.

Ports and FeaturesThe port selection on the E6320 is missing a few key components. For starters, it only has two USB 2.0 ports. Even though you can purchase a docking station (there’s a connector at the bottom), users shouldn’t feel the need to; the machine should’ve come with three or more. Not to mention they’re version 2.0 instead of the faster 3.0. It’s also worth noting that it only has a mini HDMI to HDMI/DVI port instead of the standard HDMI port for connecting it up to an HDTV. Other than those things, the port selection is pretty standard for a business notebook, with a SmartCard Reader, VGA port, 34mm ExpressCard slot, and an SD memory card reader. The optional ports are the SmartCard reader, mini HDMI, and the optical drive type.